Understanding habitat use and movement patterns of fishes
increases the success of habitat-restoration projects. Stream-
habitat restoration and enhancement of stream-dwelling spotted bass
Micropterus punctulatus populations is a long-term goal for
the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Thus, the objectives
of this study were to determine habitat use and movement patterns
of spotted bass using radiotelemetry in Otter Creek, Kansas.
Spotted bass were tracked biweekly from May 1998 through April
2000. Mean movement varied from 7.2 (m/h) to 18.1 (m/h) and
differed significantly (P = 0.002, F = 6.13, df = 37) among
seasons. Movement during spring and fall was significantly
different (P< 0.1) compared to summer and winter
movement. During all seasons, mean movement differed significantly
(P< 0.1) among diel periods, and movement was
typically lowest at night. A significant (P = 0.0009,
R2 = 0.40, df = 29) quadratic relationship existed
between mean movmeent during daylight hours and water temperature,
with peak movement at 16°C. The mean home range size used by
spotted bass was 3,954 m2 (SE = 537.7). Macrohabitat
(i.e., pool, run, and riffle) use by spotted bass was non-random
(P = 0.0006, Wilk's lambda ( ) = 0.51, df =
2), and pool
ranked significantly different (P< 0.1) than the ranks
of run and riffle. Cover-habitat (i.e., open water, overhanging
vegetation, log complex, rootwad, and undercut bank) use by spotted
bass was non-random (P = 0.0001, = 0.06, df
=
4), and
woody debris (i.e., log complex and rootwad) and undercut bank
ranked highest. Cover-habitat compositional analysis by season
showed similar patterns. Woody debris use did not differ
significantly (P> 0.1) among diel periods for summer
and fall, but did differ significantly (P< 0.1)
during winter and spring. Spotted bass use of clay and bedrock
substrate was similar to availability, and spotted bass used large
substrates less than available. Spotted bass used fine substrates
more than available; however, use of fine substrates was positively
linearly correlated (P = 0.004, r = 0.57, df = 23)
with use of log complexes. Fine substrates were more common within
2 m of log complexes than other substrates. The use of depth by
spotted bass in pools was similar to availability. Use of velocity
by spotted bass in pools varied from 0 to 0.46 m/s (mean = 0.03
m/s, SE = 0.0014), was similar to availability, and represented the
low-velocity environment of pools in Otter Creek. These results
indicate that spotted bass have distinct movement patterns, small
home ranges, and extensively use woody debris and undercut-bank
habitats in pools. Thus, I suggest that subsequent habitat-
restoration efforts focus on these habitats.